BlackBerry PlayBook designer cases hands-on

Its not often that you get as prestigious a company as Ettinger turning its design expertise to that of the technology world. But the leather goods manufacturer has gone and done just that, turning out a set of oh-so-special cases for the brand new BlackBerry PlayBook.

And it's not alone, plenty of other top designers and manufacturers have jumped on board too and created some of the nicest accessories of any gadget to date. Japanese company Porter has created bags and sleeves in its signature canvas. Even Valextra of Italy has crafted a set of leather cases for the device.

So, to celebrate the collaborations, BlackBerry invited Pocket-lint to come and have a look, and to get pictures for you.

First up are the Ganzo cases. Made from Minerva Natural leather and manufactured in Japan, they are a sleek zipped pocket for the PlayBook to sit safely in. They're available in natural, mulberry or olive.

The Italian made Valextra cases were a particular favourite. Fine grained Calfskin is used to line them and they also include an envelope pocket and punched hole for headphones.

Next up are the Porter cases from Japan. Using strong elastics, they keep the PlayBook secure whilst allowing space for notebooks or stationary.

Ettinger has produced some particularly expensive looking cases for the PlayBook. Working with leather since 1934 has meant that it has a total expertise with the stuff. Of all the cases we saw this easily looked the most hardy. Handfinished and with contrasting interior leather, as well as extra pockets and compartments.

There were also some less expensive cases on show. We particularly like the skin cases on show which simply wrapped round the PlayBook to keep it nice and safe.

Want's 'Les Essentiels de la Vie were an interesting offering to the case collection. The Canadian company has made a sort of miniature briefcase to hold your PlayBook and any other relevant materials in. Boasting plentiful inner pockets and elasticated straps we thought this perhaps had the best functionality of the bunch.

Finally, we have the Belgian made Delvaux cases. Simply a leather envelope to slip the PlayBook into, these were the most basic of the bunch. That said, Delvaux is the oldest leather manufacturer in the world, so each case carries a pretty hefty sense of cool with them as well.

BlackBerry itself has also produced plenty of cases for the PlayBook. There are too many to mention here, but a special note must be given to the leather journal style case.

The baby of the Lint team, Hunter has been a tech fan since he bought his first MiniDisc..and what a waste of money that was. He began writing about electronics at the age of 16 and hasn't stopped since. Nowadays he fulfils his mobile phone and gaming obsession whilst attempting to distract people from his bizarre name. Regular meetings with the Gladiators crew see Hunter often returning to work battered and bruised. Considers himself a music obsessive, was once the most highly decorated scout in the country. Fan of trousers.